Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) Stock Rating Lowered by Wall Street Zen

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Saturday.

BWFG has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their price objective on shares of Bankwell Financial Group from $53.00 to $55.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 2nd. Hovde Group increased their target price on shares of Bankwell Financial Group from $48.00 to $49.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Bankwell Financial Group in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $52.00.

Bankwell Financial Group Trading Down 1.4%

Bankwell Financial Group stock opened at $46.32 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $369.63 million, a PE ratio of 10.43 and a beta of 0.67. Bankwell Financial Group has a 12 month low of $26.39 and a 12 month high of $51.54. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $47.84 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $45.84. The company has a current ratio of 1.06, a quick ratio of 1.06 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.60.

Bankwell Financial Group (NASDAQ:BWFG) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, January 29th. The bank reported $1.36 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.20 by $0.16. Bankwell Financial Group had a net margin of 16.94% and a return on equity of 12.21%. The firm had revenue of $30.32 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $28.06 million.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Christine Chivily sold 1,985 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.80, for a total transaction of $98,853.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 16,186 shares in the company, valued at $806,062.80. This represents a 10.92% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Matt Mcneill sold 3,794 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.83, for a total transaction of $189,055.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 45,019 shares in the company, valued at $2,243,296.77. This represents a 7.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 11,897 shares of company stock valued at $592,523. 19.48% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Bankwell Financial Group

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Acadian Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 5.5% in the second quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 93,233 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $3,357,000 after acquiring an additional 4,890 shares in the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group in the third quarter worth approximately $4,280,000. Fourthstone LLC increased its position in shares of Bankwell Financial Group by 60.2% during the second quarter. Fourthstone LLC now owns 266,865 shares of the bank’s stock worth $9,615,000 after purchasing an additional 100,302 shares in the last quarter. Police & Firemen s Retirement System of New Jersey purchased a new stake in shares of Bankwell Financial Group during the second quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, CWM LLC raised its stake in Bankwell Financial Group by 71.8% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 1,041 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $46,000 after purchasing an additional 435 shares during the last quarter. 35.80% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Bankwell Financial Group

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Westchester, Illinois, and serves as the parent of Bankwell Bank. Through its subsidiary, the company provides a full suite of banking products and services designed for both individual consumers and small‐ to mid‐sized businesses. Bankwell Bank operates multiple branches across suburban Cook and Lake counties, focusing on personalized service and local decision‐making.

The company’s deposit offerings include checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as certificates of deposit, all supported by an online and mobile banking platform for convenient account access.